Craghead
Shafto House
Last Updated:
23 Aug 2024
Craghead
This is a
Dwelling
54.853911, -1.671764
Founded in
Current status is
Extant
Designer (if known):
Still in use as a private residence
This stone-built property is one of the oldest in the village. It's named Shafto House, and predates all of the pit rows to its south. In fact, this house is inextricably linked to the pit and the surrounding dwellings.
This was in fact the home of William Hedley, who also built it around 1838. Originally born in Newburn, Hedley stood alongside Stephenson and Brunel as one of the foremost industrial engineers in the whole country. His early life was dedicated to tinkering and refining the steam locomotive, and he actually built the first steam locomotive which could be propelled of its own volition on rails. Before this, cable hauling using a stationary engine was general practice as well as "toothed rails", a bit like a cog.
Though his first locomotive was unsuccessful, you may have heard of Puffing Billy and Wylam Dilly shown on the 2nd shot. Dilly and Billy are the oldest surviving locomotives in the world and live in London and Edinburgh respectively. Dilly actually operated here at Craghead in the mid 19th century, which takes us to why Hedley lived in the area.
So Hedley obviously had a great pedigree in operating mines and the logistics around it. He owned a portfolio of pits in Durham after being manager at Wylam, as well as interests in shipping and railways. By the 1830s, he devoted much of his time into developing the coalfields around South Moor and the Craghead Valley. He also lived at Burnopside Hall, but resided here beforehand as per a letting notice in the Newcastle Journal to build pit cottages in Craghead in 1840. Hedley died 3 years later at Burnopside Hall shortly after buying up the Newton estate near Stocksfield, presumably for further mining activity.
There were other notable owners of this property. James Fairly, a coal manager for the Craghead & Holmside Collieries lived here for many years and retired after 42 years service in 1913. Afterwards Cpt Francis Mathwin Weeks, a mining engineer, lived here until he died during WWI. The run of engineers residing here appeared to have ended there.
Listing Description (if available)
The Ordnance Survey maps shown depict Craghead and Shafto House from the 1850s (when it was surveyed) through to the 1890s. In the mid 19th century, Craghead was just starting to develop around the Holmeside Pits. The Punch Bowl (https://x.com/neheritagelib/status/1826683711749832956) had been built in the 1840s, and the first cottages had been erected on the main lane south as well as the Wagtail Cottages at the Thomas Pit. These were probably from the 1840s when Hedley put the construction out to tender in local newspapers. By the 1890s it had developed into a fully fledged settlement, with lines of terraces sprawling across the hill. This is alongside a hotel, school and a primitive chapel. Between these decades, Shafto House had a central extension fitted between the main property and the roadside buildings seen on the photo.
The decades between the 1890s and 1910s saw even greater expansion of Craghead. An institute, St Thomas' Church, cricket & football ground and further infrastructure like the Sewage Works were all construction for the betterment of the pitmen and their families. This was Craghead at its greatest extent, with two significant colliery workings on either side fuelling the growth of this village.
Shafto House, with its handsome stone and soot-laden quoins and lancet windows in 2024
An undated shot of the property from the north. Unknown original source.
